Gambhir unhappy with Guwahati pitch after run-fest: It's not cricket, only batting

Indian men’s cricket team head coach Gautam Gambhir was critical of the pitch used for the second ODI against West Indies at Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati. The match witnessed several records being shattered as both teams posted totals in excess of 400, with India completing their highest successful run chase in ODIs.

The Men in Blue chased down a humongous target of 406 in just 43.3 overs with captain Shubman Gill leading from the front with his second double century (223* off 133) in the 50-over format. Apart from him, opening batter Rohit Sharma (101 off 75) also scored a breathtaking century.

Sharing his views on the pitch after the game, Gambhir advocated for more even contest between bat and ball, saying that the match was ‘just not cricket’.

"Look, if I have to be absolutely honest, I feel I think there has to be a bit more contest between bat and ball, because I think you talk about cricket - but this is not cricket, this is only batting. Because imagine a young bowler bowling on this wicket, and the opposition getting 400 and then we go on to chase 400. Obviously, for the records it's outstanding, for the crowd it's outstanding, for the broadcaster it's outstanding, but if you ask me as a genuine cricket fan and as a coach, because I have to have sympathy for the bowlers as well,” Gambhir told Star Sports after the game.

Gambhir also backed Indian bowlers after a tough day on the field.

"When you bowl on this kind of a wicket, it's not fair for the bowlers. So we've got to give something to the bowlers so there's at least something which the bowlers can work with. The first thing is that you need some sympathy and a bit of margin for the bowlers. Often you can't be hard on bowlers, because sometimes bowling figures are such that they haven't bowled as poorly as their figures suggest. Because the margin is very small,” he added.

The Indian head coach also highlighted the importance of exposing young bowlers to challenging situations, giving examples of Auqib Nabi and Gurnoor Brar.

"We could have given Auqib a chance in the next match too when it's a dead rubber, but in a dead rubber, you don't have that pressure which comes with the pressure of winning a series. And we all know that the World Cup is all about pressure. Cricket isn't going to change like that, only the pressure will be different because the World Cup comes once in four years, so we want to put bowlers under pressure,” said Gambhir.

"For example, Gurnoor [Brar]. Having Gurnoor bowl in the first 10 overs, bowling at the death, I know people will talk about his analysis, but the more he bowls in tough conditions, in tough situations, the better it is for Indian cricket. Because you can have him bowl in the middle overs and get good analysis or good stats for him, make him bowl defensively, but the more we expose them at such times, the better it is for Indian cricket,” the Indian head coach added.

Auqib Nabi's forgettable debut

Auqib Nabi (0/84, 8.5 overs) had a forgettable debut in international cricket, registering the most expensive bowling figures by an Indian on his first outing in the format. On the other hand, Gurnoor Brar gave away 96 runs from his ten overs, taking two wickets as West Indies posted their highest-ever score (405/7) in ODIs.

Meanwhile, the two teams will next meet in the third and final ODI of the series on Saturday, October 3, at Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur, New Chandigarh.